Cotton-picking machine.



PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. P. P. HARING. COTTON PIGKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27 1904 its relation to the clearer means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COTTON-PICKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed July 27, 1904. Serial No. 218,416.

ing machines of the general class disclosed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by me August 20, 1902, Serial No. 120,423; and my improvements concern more particularly the arrangement of the pickerspindle, the means for driving the same, and to. features and combinations and arrangements of parts, hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a picker-arm, showing the means for driving the picker-spindle. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the picker-arm in Fig. 3 is a detail View.

In the drawings, the picker-arm 1 is preferably formed of metal secured to a bracket 2, which is held by a drum or carrier A, rotated through suitable connections with the drivewheel of the machine. This picker-arm carries picker-spindles 3, disposed along the same at different points, the said picker-spindles extending in a direction transversely of the picker-arm through cones 4, carried by the outer sides of the said arms. The picker spindles are arranged in sets in the present instance, there being four spindles to each set, and, as shown in Fig. 2, the spindles are inclined in relation to the direction of movement of the picker-arm, (indicated by the arrow in said figure.) The spindles of each set are arranged in line with each other or in the same Vertical plane. At their inner ends the spindles carry toothed wheels 5, each of which meshes with a crown-wheel 6 on a shaft 7, extending longitudinally of the picker-arm and driven in any suitable manneras, for instance, by a gear 8, through which motion is communicated from a moving part of the machine.

As shown in Fig. 1, I prefer to drive the adjacent sets of picker-spindles by crownwheels on the shaft 7, located between the said sets. By this arrangement the toothed gears are kept in mesh, for it will be seen that the two crown-wheels 6 and 6 will prevent movement of the shaft in either direction and each crown-wheel will maintain its engagementwith its toothed wheel 5 on the picker-spindle. The

picker-spindles are made of plain cylindrical form throughout, as shown in Fig. 3, and have the divergent picker-fingers 9 on their outer ends. In order to prevent the accumulation of lint and the clogging of the pickerspindles, I provide the cones 11 with flaring mouths 10. In order to get the best effects from the gear-drive mechanism, I find it desirable to have the picker-spindle fitclosely within the bearings of the cones, and this is shown in Fig. 3,where the main portion of the pickerspindle has a close bearing in the cone and the flaring mouth 10 is located at the outer portion of the said picker-spindle.

In Fig. 2 I show the relation of the pickerarm, which moves in the direction of the arrow, to a clearer-plate 12, which is intended to clear the cotton from the picker-fingers, and below this plate is shown aportion of a clearerbelt, which is adapted to engage the cotton and convey it to any suitable point of discharge, these parts being substantially similar to those disclosed in the application above referred to. In the present case instead of forming all the picker-spindles of equal length I employ at the front of the picker-arm or, in other words, the side facing the direction of movement shorter picker-spindles, as indicated at 3 while those on the opposite side of the picker-arm are of greater length. This arrangement is desirable in order to prevent the front pickers from striking the clearerplate and becoming damaged thereby. This might happen in case for any reason the picker-arm should be slightly displaced and fall to a lower position than that which it should normally occupy. In such a case the picker-spindles on the front face of the arm would be damaged or perhaps broken off by striking the clearer-plate, because this pickerspindle inclines toward the front. In the case of the rear picker-spindle, however, by inclining opposite to the direction of movement they could drag upon the clearer-plate without causing damage or breakage.

I regard the inclined position of the pickerspindles as of importance for the above reasons and also because of the fact that each corner of the picker-arm may be armed with a picker-spindle which is adapted to grasp the cotton and pick the same whether said cotton is facing vertically or horizontally, as the picker-fingers occupy a middle position in respect to these two planes. Further than this each picker spindle by projecting slightly beyond the plane of the adjacent faces of the picker-arm is in a position to pick the cotton in line with the top or with the side face of the said arm.

It will be seen from the above that I provide an operating mechanism extending longitudinally of the picker-arm and connected to a plurality of picker-spindles which extend in either direction transversely of the arm and arranged in planes crossing each other.

By reason of the arrangement of gearing it will be noticed that any adjacent two of the picker-spindles will rotate so that their adjacent-sides will move in the same direction, and thus tendency to tear the cotton will be avoided.

In order to provide a bearing for the inner end of the picker-spindles, a plate 12 is secured to the inner side of the picker-arm, the said plate having a series of arms 13 extending at an angle thereto, as shown in Fig. 1, and having bearings for the inner ends of the picker-spindles.

I claim as my invention 1. In a cotton-picking machine, a carrier a picker-arm extending out therefrom, a pluralityof picker-spindles extending in directions transversely of the arm and arranged in planes crossing each other, and driving means extending longitudinally within the arm, said driving means being common to all the spindles, substantially as described.

2. In combination, in a cotton-picking machine, a carrier a picker-arm extending out therefrom, a plurality of picker-spindles on the arm and means for rotating the spindles, the spindles inclining in relation to the direction of movement of the arm, substantially as described.

3. In combination, in a cotton-picking machine, a carrier a picker-arm extending out therefrom, spindles on the arm, and means for rotating the spindles, the said spindles inclining in relation to the direction of movement of the arm, said inclined spindles projecting above and below the plane of the up per and lower faces of the arm, substantially as described.

4. In combination a carrier, a picker-arm extending out therefrom, picker-spindles on the said arm and inclining rearwardly in respect to the direction of movement of the picker-arm and to the axial line of the said arm, and means for rotating the said rearrearwardly-inclined spindles and a clearerplate over which the rearwardly-inclined spindles are drawn by the movement of the pickerarm, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a picker-arm and pickerspindles at the front and rear of the arm inclined in relation to the direction of movement of the arm, the spindles at the front of the arm being shorter than those projecting toward the rear, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a carrier, a picker-arm thereon projecting therefrom, a plurality of picker-spindles disposed at different points along the same, and gear mechanism arranged longitudinally of the arm for driving the picker-spindles, substantially as described.

8. In combination, a carrier with a pickerarm thereon projecting therefrom, a plurality of picker-spindles disposed along the same, a shaft extending along the arm and connections between the said shaft and the spindles, substantially as described.

9. In combination, a carrier, a picker-arm thereon and projecting therefrom, the plurality of picker-spindles disposed along the same, a shaft extending longitudinally of the picker-arm, and crown-gearing between the shaft and the picker-spindles.

10. In combination, a picker-arm, a plurality of spindles carried thereby, the shaft extending along the arm, gears on the pickerspindles and gears on the shaft engaging those on the picker-spindles and facing in opposite directions to hold the shaft against longitudinal movement.

11. In combination a picker-arm, a plurality of picker-spindles carried thereby, a shaft extending longitudinally Within the picker arm, and gearing between said shaft and the picker-spindles, said gearing driving adjacent spindles of the same horizontal row in opposite directions so that the adjacent sides of the adjacent spindles will move in the same direction, substantially as described.

12. In combination, a carrier, a hollow picker-arm extending out therefrom substantially horizonally, and a plurality of pickerspindles having fingers on their outer. portions, and having their inner portions extending into the picker-arm part Way across the same and driving means within the arm extending longitudinally thereof and connected to the picker-spindles, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER PAUL HARING. Witnesses:

B. PASSMORE, J. O. BURNS. 

